Long span building and arch construction



Dec 20, 1932. LJDAVIDSON 1,891,346

LONG SPAN BUILDING AND ARCH CONSTRUCTION Original Filed May 1, 1924Patented Dec. 20, 1932 LOUIS DAVIDSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y;

LONG SIP AN BUILDING AND ARCH CONSTRUCTION Application filed May 1,1924, Serial No. 710,385. Renewed September 28, 1931.

My invention relates to improvements in long span arch construction andto buildings comprising such arches, and its b]8Ct is to useeconomically the space between the horizontal tie or spring line and thearch proper in a building comprising such arches, and to build roofarches economically; also-to eliminate the expensive shop and field workincidental to fabricating and constructing arches,

and to use standardized parts of extremely simple design andconstruction so that the work can be done successfully by unskilledlabor with assured accurate results instead of the customary high pricedmechanics now ordinarily employed.

The embodiments of the invention are 1 llustrated in the accompanyingdrawing in which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a building with thearch tie rod below the finished floor,

showing the use of my arch;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of shoe 1 and does not show the roofing;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section of Fig. 2 on line 33, in the directionshown;

Fig. 4 is another transverse section of Fig.

2 on line 4 1 in the direction shown indicating a modification of Fig.3;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of shoe 1 used where a subsegment 7 is introducedto increase the vertical clearance at the springline of the arch;

, Fig. 6 is a transverse section of Fig. 5 on Fig. 7 is a sectionalelevation of a building of the type shown in Fig. 1 showing the mannerin which abalcony may be disposed between the floor and archsub-segment.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The connecting shoe is marked 1, and is preferably but not necessarily acasting into which arch segments 2 are placed. The shoes 1, as shown,are formed with relatively deep sockets 9, and the ends of the segments2 are 4 adapted to be inserted into said sockets. 3 is the tie rod toresist the horizontal thrust of the arch.

4 are conventional turnbuckles. beams to support the roof between thearches and deliver the loads to them. 6 is the roof 5 aresheathing androofing support. 7 are subsegments, the ends of which are supported bythe arches and by the enclosing wall of the building. 8 are machinescrews that engage throughthe shoe wall and firmly bear 1 .1

against the arch segments to take up the slack between the shoe andsegment and prevent movement. 9 are the sockets of shoes 1. 10 are wallsfor delivering the stress from an end face of one segment to an end faceof another. 11 are steel bearing plates against. which machine screws 8bear and are used to prevent the screws from biting into the segment. 12are lugs on the shoes for the purpose-of connecting roof beams 5. 13 areseats on the sides of the shoes for the purpose of receiving and holdingroof beam 5. 14

is the finished floor of the building. 15 are the side walls of thebuilding. 22 are holes in the shoe walls for the purpose of reducing theweight of the shoe where there is ample bearing surface and strength. 23are dias phragms against which the ends of segments bear. Thesediaphragms also serve to tie the walls of the socket together andincrease the strength of the shoe and socket. 7

Shoes 1 are made strong enough to resist bending in the arch due toloading or erection conditions and takes the place of the usual rigidriveted or bolted connection. The usual riveted or bolted arches areexpensive to fabricate and erect, and much time is lost in the processof matching, riveting and bolting. These objections are overcome in thisinvention and a much stronger structure is obtained by assuring fullbearing strength at the joints without depending upon riveted or boltedconnections.

To simplify theshop and field work diaphragm 23 is built at right angleto the line of the segment that is to bear against it and thereby onlyright angle cuts are required at the ends of the segments to make aperfect bearing fit.. The opposite sockets on each shoe are at an angleto each other to conform to the curvature of the arch. The walls 10connecting the sockets can be. designed to various shapes and the numberof walls connecting two sockets increased, depending on the amount ofstrain that these walls are to 10 resist. The walls of the sockets Willbe stressed only when the arch is in bending and will not be subject todirect compression stresses.

Much time is saved in erecting buildings with these arches as the roofcan be built immediately following the foundations and arches instead ofwaiting as is necessary in other types for sidewalls to be erected.

Fig. 1 shows the arch built in simple form by bringing the arch reactiondirectly to the foundation and thereby making unnecessary supportingWalls or piers in the walls to carry the heavy arch reactions. Fig. 1also shows an improvement with the sub-segments 7 connecting the arch tothe Walls for the purpose of giving increased vertical clearance at thepoint where the arch meets the floor. The loads on the sub-segments arecomparatively small and it is therefore practical to build the sidewalls of hollow cement or terra cotta blocks, light timber covered withconventional siding or shingles, or brick, depending on local marketconditions.

Fig. 7 shows a modification of Fig. 1 by using the space between thefloor and the arch where the latter meets the floor to carry a balconyaround the building. This balcony, as shown, extends beyond the archesand is in part supported thereby.

It is evident from the several figures shown that many modifications canbe made, and I do not intend to be understood as limiting myself to theoutlines and shapes shown in the drawing. The essential principles of myinvention as illustrated in the accompanying drawing may be variedwithin the limits of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. A building comprising a plurality of longspan arches comprising shoes and segments, a floor at substantially thelevel of the ends of the arches, supports at the ends of the arches, andarch sub-segments extending from the arches to the supportsand bearingon said respective elements, each sub-segment and its complementalsegment of the arch be ing connected to the same shoe.

2. A building comprising a plurality of long span arches comprisingshoes and segments, a floor at substantially the level of the ends ofthe arches, supports, at the ends of the arches, and arch sub-segmentsextending from the arches to the supports and bearing on said respectiveelements, the end segments of each arch and its complemental sub-segmentbeing connected to the same shoe.

3. A building comprising a plurality of long, span arches consisting ofstraight arch segments, means connecting said segments in end to endrelation, a floor at substantially the level of the ends of the arches,supports at the ends of the arches and arch sub-segments extending fromthe supports and supported in part by the arches through the meansconnecting the arch segments together and providing a vertical clearanceWhere the arches meet the floor of the building.

4. A building comprising a plurality of long span arches comprisingstraight segments, means connecting said segments end to end, a floor atsubstantially the level of the ends of the arches, supports at the endsof the arches and straight sub-segments extending from the supports andbearing upon means connected to said first mentioned connecting meansand providing a vertical head- 1gloom clearance Where the arches meetthe oor.

5. A building comprising a plurality of long span arches consisting ofstraight arch segments connected end to end, afloor at substantially thelevel of the ends of the arches, supports at the ends of the arches,arch subsegments extending from the supports and supported in part bythe arches through the means connecting the arch segments together andproviding a vertical headroom clearance where the arches meet the floor,and a balcony intermediate the floor and the sub-segments, said balconybeing supported by the supports and by the arches.

. LOUIS DAVIDSON.

